


Learning opportunity

by sarcasmismyweapon



Series: Learning Curve [23]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 2nd anniversary fic, 2ndanniversaryfic, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Fluff, Friendship, Funny, Gen, Humor, Life lessons fic, LifeLessonsfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 23:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20016286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasmismyweapon/pseuds/sarcasmismyweapon
Summary: Life Lessons ficIruka knows by now that Mizuki and Wolf don't get along, this is just a fact. However, the Chunin also knows that it's fun to





	Learning opportunity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gingerlinrarian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerlinrarian/gifts).



> We've made it to two years on the main story, TWO YEARS! The official anniversary is the 30th but I'll be at a client's house with spotty wifi so I figured it was best to post things now. Many thanks to those who participated in the 2nd-anniversary quiz and I hope you all enjoy the fics for this years anniversary.

“He’s not here is he?” The perpetual scowl that Mizuki wore on any given day didn’t faze Iruka much, but the fellow Chunin sighed regardless.

“I wouldn’t know Mizuki, there’s the whole not being seen aspect to Anbu that seems to be effective if you’re asking me that.”

The other teen glared, Iruka shrugged back. “Don’t know, it’s not like he’d tell me if he was spying on me.” Iruka shuffled some papers around before commenting. “Did you get that paperwork from rain?”

Mizuki snorted. “From that Genin team?”

“Yeah.” Iruka was frowning as he tried to find the connected paperwork.

“Don’t bother.” The teen said with a smirk. “I threw it back at their sensei and told the man to learn how to write up a report.”

Iruka’s fingers froze on the sheets of paper he was sorting through, looking slowly towards his fellow Chunin Iruka muttered. “Please tell me that was a lie.”

Mizuki scoffed. “Why?” Iruka gave a pleading look to his friend, Mizuki rolled his eyes. “I don’t see what the big deal is, we get bad reports all the time. No skin off of my back if the bastard has to re-write it, hell, it’ll probably teach his brats a lesson too.”

Iruka knew he shouldn’t still be surprised by anything that Mizuki did, that any of his friends did, but sometimes it truly baffled him to what lengths they went to when it came to giving him a heart attack.

“Mizuki.” He rasped. “That wasn’t just some Jounin sensei, that was Tenra Uchiha.”

Mizuki frowned. “And?”

Iruka gave a horrified look back at his friend, he knew Mizuki didn’t much care for knowing much about the village on a whole. He was more concerned about himself and what affected him, sometimes he showed his more caring side towards them, but even Iruka had to admit that was rare. Still, not knowing who Tenra Uchiha was...Well, it was pretty indicative of his friend's ability to step his foot in it.

“He’s about to be promoted, everyone in the office knows this.” Iruka hissed. “He was just covering for a friend, he’s in special ops.”

Mizuki sat there a moment as if considering whether or not what he’d just heard mattered or not. Ultimately he shrugged, in turn making Iruka go pale.

“Mizuki!” The Chunin shouted. “You can’t just go around doing that! He’s an important member of the village an-”

“Like I care about some Uchiha.” Mizuki spat. “The whole clan’s full of stuck up assholes.”

Iruka was sure that he’d have an aneurysm before the end of this conversation, trying to get Mizuki to understand the error of his ways wasn’t an easy task. It was all the harder when he thought that the person he was demoralizing was deserving of it, like now.

“I-I can’t believe...” Iruka shook his head, muttering. “No, I can believe you said that and that you did that...But you shouldn’t have.” He pointed out shrewdly with a firmer look. “That reflects badly on you and the rest of us, we’re supposed to be impartial. Just accept the mission reports, grade them and thank those returning from missions.”

Mizuki snorted. “For you maybe, I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of my life. If I have to piss off a few fuckers to get them to see that we’re not people to be stepped on than fine by me.”

“I think Tenra would be alright stepping on you...Or one of his relatives, I know a few.”

Both figures froze, Iruka spinning around to see Wolf leaning against the wall as if he had been there the whole time.

“Wolf.”

“Fuck you.” 

Iruka winced, yep, this was going to end well.

Wolf huffed. “Nice to see you to Mizuki.” Glancing towards Iruka, the Anbu questioned. “I take it you didn’t insult Tenra?”

Iruka shook his head, jerking a thumb towards Mizuki and receiving a nod in reply. “Thought so.” Glancing towards Mizuki, Kakashi explained. “I wasn’t joking, by the way, I do now a few of his relatives. Not that he would need their help in putting someone like you in line, frankly I’d be worried if I was you. He might seem calm and collected on the outside, but he doesn’t like being made a fool.”

“No Uchiha does.” The Chunin spat. “Goes against their holier than though attitude.”

Wolf arched a brow. “Like yours?” He countered.

Mizuki stood in a hurry, his momentum sending his chair slamming backward into the wall. “Fuck you!” He pointed. “I don’t try to be anything I’m not! Those assholes think they’re entitled to everything just because they were born to that clan.”

Wolf shrugged. “Most clans have members that believe they are entitled to things, then again there are quite a few in the village who don’t belong to any clan that think the same thing.”

Iruka glanced back and forth between Mizuki and Wolf, the pair going head to head for what felt like the hundredth time. Iruka sighed as Mizuki began shouting expletives back at the Anbu while Wolf remained completely poised and unfazed. That just pissed off Mizuki more of course, the teen hadn’t quite managed to figure out that Wolf wasn’t acting that way to be an asshole and was just in general not invested in having this particular conversation with him. Iruka spared each man another look before muttering.

“I really should have gone home when I could have.”

“Hmm?” Wolf broke away from the argument with Mizuki, he’d only half been paying attention to the teens broken down assumptions and petty arguments.

Iruka shook his head, rising from the table. “I’m going to file these, I’ll be back.” Picking up the stack of folders he walked around the table and headed for the attached filing room only to pause. Never looking back as he stated coolly. “No bloodshed.”

“Alright.”

“FUCK YOU! Like I have to worry about your lame ass doing anything!”

Nodding Iruka stepped into the filing room and shut the door. Whatever happened while he was gone, he was going to ignore. Not for their sake, but his own. 

********

Kakashi waited until the door was firmly shut to turn and remark. “Tenra Uchiha isn’t someone you should disrespect.”

“Oh really?” Mizuki snipped. “Why is that? Cause he’s some haughty know it-”

“For one, he’s not one of the Uchiha who would fit your holier than though attitude mold. He’s quite a peaceful person, he doesn’t cause fights that’s for sure. Two, he’s a decorated shinobi and the Hokage himself has awarded him for his capability on the battlefield and his resolve towards his teammates.”

Mizuki snorted. “And?”

Sighing the Anbu muttered. “And he’s not the type of person who would come to break your legs...His brother, however, is.”

That gave the teen pause. “You’re shitting me.”

Kakashi snorted. “No, I am not. Not that Tenra is liable to tell him about this scuffle, he’s probably more amused by your peacocking than threatened. Just a warning, if word gets to his family about this, you might get a visitor who isn’t as keen to put up with your shit as I am.”

Mizuki scowled at the Anbu, he still didn’t understand the appeal to the man. How the others flocked to them in such a flurry of praise eluded him. It was bad enough to hear it from the other two, but constantly feeling pressured that this particular Anbu might be lurking about whenever Iruka was in his company pissed him off.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than spying on some Chunin? What the Hokage doesn’t have a use for you?”

Kakashi chuckled. “He has plenty of uses for me, I just like avoiding them whenever I can.”

That seemed to stump the Chunin for a moment, but Mizuki was quick to shake it off. “There is something wrong with you.”

“Undoubtedly.”

Mizuki glared when the Anbu agreed with him. “Well, I’ll tell you what I told that prissy Uchiha...I don’t want to clean up after your shit.”

Kakashi shook his head. “You’ve never had to deal with anything compared to the others and what they’ve endured on my behalf wasn’t something that they felt was altogether tedious. You’re the one who still has a problem helping others.”

Mizuki gave an angry noise from his throat, lashing out a hand at the Anbu. “Like you know anything! All you do is sit on your high horse and judge other people, come riding on Iruka’s coattails to make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble. For fuck's sake, that guy couldn’t find trouble if he tried!”

“Really?” Kakashi blanched. “He and Izumo were forced to clean up an entire section of the industrial district as punishment for their latest war against each other.”

Mizuki snorted. “They act like kids, makes sense given who they’re always around.” The teen gave a haughty look to the Anbu as if he’d just leveraged a great insult onto the man.

Wolf blinked back at the teen, unsure how to go about reacting to that. It took a moment longer for Mizuki to pick up on the fact that the Anbu wasn’t going to say anything.

“HA, you can’t even offer up some kind of complaint against that? Can’t find some way to defend yourself against such a lowly Chunin.” The teen was laughing at the Anbu.

Kakashi inwardly wondered if pressure points would be allowed, technically the technique itself didn’t result in bloodshed, but if the teen tried to fight against it he could brain himself on something...What a dilemma.

“You’re useless! You just stand around mocking people instead of doing any real work!”

“He saved four people last week.”

Both heads twisted to stare at Iruka in shock, neither had noticed the Chunin’s return. Iruka was scowling back at Mizuki, not bothering to glance at the Anbu who he was speaking for.

“Wha-” Mizuki didn’t get to continue as Iruka cut him off.

“That isn’t useless.” The teen retorted coldly. “That’s four people who would have been dead without him, you were complaining about having a guard shift at the gates last week. That is useless.”

Iruka walked across, picked up his back and without a single word more, stalked out of the mission office. Leaving two stunned people behind him, knowing better than to dawdle, Kakashi muttered.

“He’s got you there.” The Anbu disappeared in a flash of smoke, leaving Mizuki alone in the mission room.

The teen slammed a hand down onto the desk. “DAMN IT.”

********

Iruka didn’t even flinch when a figure suddenly appeared beside him, far to used to Wolf appearing as ‘someone’ who could walk around in public. 

“How’d you hear about that?”

Iruka didn’t bother to glance to see ‘which’ face it was Wolf was wearing this time, he liked to joke about the people the man was masquerading as, but this time it didn’t matter. “From people.”

The Anbu snorted. “Cute.”

Iruka smiled for the first time since he’d left the office. “Hawk told me.”

“Ah...Yeah, told him in that confidence, the bastard.”

Iruka snorted. “You went and tattled on him not two days ago, did you really think he was going to keep whatever you get up to a secret?” Iruka cast a befuddled look towards the man he was walking with.

The strangers face twisted up into a grimace before ultimately the figure shrugged. “I had hoped.”

Iruka rolled his eyes and pressed forward. “Than you’re more of an idiot than Mizuki is.”

“Ouch.”

Iruka smirked, he knew that was one retort that would carry a bit of sting to the man. “You two will never get along will you?” The teen said more for himself than the Anbu, Wolf answered him regardless.

“Did you think that him disrespecting someone like Tenra Uchiha was going to be a good thing?”

Iruka frowned. “No of course not, but why-”

“It has everything to do with it.” Wolf countered the Chunin’s interruption. “Namely the fact that any sane person would know better than to be so disrespectful to someone just because they had some unimaginable slight against a clan they’d had no interaction with. Least of all start an altercation with another higher-ranked shinobi just because they had some kind of god complex that needs to be fed in bitter arguments that have more power on a school playground than in an adult conversation. I’m not the type to let a comrade be talked down to by a little shit like Mizuki, so...No, we’ll never get along.”

Iruka huffed. “You could have just said no instead of insulting him.”

“I could have...Chose not to.” The pleasure in the Anbu’s voice had Iruka rolling his eyes, some arguments were best to be avoided. Iruka sighed, shaking his head slowly only to snort when the Anbu replied.

“It bothers you doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“Us never getting along?”

Iruka laughed, startling the Anbu. “That ship sailed a hell of a long time ago Wolf. I’m more akin to watching you two squabble until you need to be separated, does it bother me sure...I don’t like seeing people I care about arguing like children.” He cast a look to the Anbu who shrugged rather than comment on the jab. “But...I guess I’ve always known on some level that you two were like oil and water to each other.”

“Thanks.” The Anbu replied. “Also, watch your language and to be fair, you two have had your share of run-ins with each other. There have been many times where you’ve cursed his name.”

Iruka rolled his eyes at the Anbu’s correction. “I’m not allowed to curse remember?”

“Cute.” The dry tone of voice had Iruka smirking.

“So why did you come to see me?” Iruka spun to face the Anbu, walking backward.

“You’re going to run into someone like that.”

Iruka rolled his eyes. “No I won’t and for two reasons, one I’m pretty good at feeling out my environment and two you’d stop me.” The teen winked. “Now why’d you come to see me?”

Huffing at the teen’s retort, Kakashi muttered. “What I can’t come to see my favorite Chunin?”

Iruka laughed. “Sure...If that was indeed what you were doing, but since you didn’t even announce your presence I think Mizuki might have been right-”

“Please don’t ever say those words in front of me again.”

Snorting at the Anbu’s dramatics, Iruka muttered. “He was right.” Iruka pointed out shrewdly. “You like to skulk around.”

“You like it when I skulk.”

The Chunin laughed at the absurdity of that statement, he wasn’t even sure if Wolf realized how pathetic that sounded or if the Anbu might have said it on purpose. It was hard to tell with the man sometimes. 

“If you must know-”

“I must.”

Wolf glared. “If you must know, I came to see how you were fairing after your training exam.”

Iruka huffed, twisting about to walk forward. Kakashi sighed, yep, that was about as much as he’d figured this conversation was going to go. “Iruka I-”

“Can’t this wait until we’re inside?” The Chunin pleased quietly.

There weren’t many people out wandering, but Kakashi could understand the desire for privacy. “Of course.”

Iruka gave a sigh of relief, falling back in place beside the Anbu. “Four people huh?”

Kakashi chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Totally not useless.” The Chunin leaned against the taller man. “A bit more worthwhile than guard duty that’s to be sure.”

Kakashi laughed. “I thought so.” He wrapped an arm around the Chunin, they carried on in silence the rest of the way to Iruka’s apartment. Just enjoying each others company, it was as they were climbing up the stairs that Iruka chimed in.

“I’m sorry by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“For Mizuki.” He clarified. “He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

Wolf snorted. “When doesn’t he? I’m used to it Iruka, that’s how he speaks to everyone.”

Iruka sighed as he unlocked the front door. “I know, but...He shouldn’t.”

“No.” The Anbu agreed. “He shouldn’t, but that’s just how he is. Sooner or later he’ll realize just what kind of trouble that mouth of his can get him into.”

Iruka gave a nod as they stepped inside, shutting and locking it behind him Iruka questioned. “So...Is Tenra Uchiha’s brother real-” Iruka frowned when Wolf started laughing uproariously, he didn’t even have to ask but he did anyway. In a flat resigned tone, the Chunin stated. “Tenra Uchiha doesn’t have a brother does he?”

Wolf stared back at him with mirth filled eyes, Iruka huffed. “You can be an ass you know that? Do you have any idea what kind of a nuisance he’s going to be searching for the records of someone who doesn’t exist just so he can assure himself that he can ‘take’ them.” Iruka made quotation marks in the air all while glaring at the still laughing Anbu. 

Wolf nodded. “I figured it might give him a few days of good reflection.”

“Paranoia more like.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Whatever works right? And you cursed, watch it.”

Shaking his head, Iruka pushed past the man and came to sit on the couch, waiting. Kakashi slowly managed to contain himself, making his own way to the couch while wiping at his eyes. Iruka scoffed at him, despite knowing the face was a lie the man’s reactions and tears were real.

“So...” The man coughed. “Exam?”

Iruka shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t feel like talking about that anymore.”

Wolf frowned. “Come on, I’m sorry alright.”

Iruka kept the man’s gaze for a few minutes, just to be sure. Nodding Iruka muttered. “Right, well...I took the exam.”

Kakashi snorted. “Iruka, I already know that part...Get to the important part, how’d you do? Everyone said you refused to talk about it, you know you can re-take it right?”

Iruka shook his head, looking away from the Anbu. “I can’t.”

Sighing at the resolute opinion of the teen on the matter the Anbu replied. “Sure you can, people re-take it all the time an-”

“I can’t re-take it Wolf.” The boy stared back at the Anbu firmly, that put a stop to the Anbu’s reassurances. The man sat there for all of a second before Iruka stated in a stone-cold manner. “I’m disqualified from doing so.”

“What?” Kakashi rasped, that...Shouldn’t have been possible.

Iruka gave a nod. “I am.”

“Why? What di-Who?”

Iruka smiled back at the Anbu, snorting and unable to contain his own laughter at just how confused the Anbu appeared to be.

“Why are you laughing?! This is big Iruka, who was your examiner? What wer-”

“Wolf.” The teen smiled. “Stop.”

Wolf shook his head. “No, there has to be some misunderstanding or-”

“Well, I’d be pretty upset if there was, I mean I worked pretty damn hard to pass with a 100%.” Iruka smiled back at the Anbu.

Kakashi’s brain took a few seconds to catalog just what the teen had said, then he scowled. Iruka was laughing, no doubt at the expressions that had crossed his face. “You passed?”

Iruka gave a nod. “100% Top score of the exams this month, they told me that I’ve already got the apprenticeship.”

Kakashi shook his head, he was immensely proud of the Chunin but that would have to wait. Sighing the Anbu replied. “Ten.”

Iruka’s laughter cut off abruptly. “Wha-”

“Nine.”

“No.” Iruka looked on with abject horror.

“Eight.”

Iruka shook his head, pointing a finger at the counting figure. “NO! Wolf no.”

“Seven.”

“I said no!”

Wolf ignored the teen’s flustered shouting, continuing with his counting as if the teen wasn’t bartering for his life. “Six.”

“This-This isn’t fair...I defended you from Mizuki and now-”

“I’m grateful for that.” The Anbu cut in. “Five.”

Iruka stared dumbfounded at the Anbu who had just thanked him and then continued the countdown as if he’d never paused. “But-”

“Four.”

Iruka scrambled up from the couch, shaking his head as if the new change of position would suddenly stop the countdown or somehow enforce his motions and voice. “NO.”

“Three.”

Whining Iruka shouted. “What am I supposed to do if you won’t listen?!” Shouting such a thing at an Anbu wasn’t the best way to get an answer but the teen was frantic to avoid the end of the countdown.

Never missing a beat, Kakashi replied. “You’re the smart one, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Iruka shook his head dumbfounded even as he idly heard. ‘Two’.

Smirking up at the teen, the Anbu added. “Let’s see if you can teach me anything.”

“That’s not! I’m going to be teaching KIDS! You’re an Anbu Wolf! WOLF...No. No. NO!” Iruka cried as the Anbu got up off of the couch, already dashing for the kitchen as unlocking the front door would take too long and he wasn’t nearly focused enough to transport himself anywhere. The kitchen window, however, was easy enough to slide through.

“One.”

Kakashi grinned, his false persona mirroring it as he transported himself to the roof. He was interested to see what the soon to be teachers assistant could show him.


End file.
